I Miss You
by spacegypsy1
Summary: After a brief romance, Daniel and Vala have split. Vala has left Earth. Now they each have to figure out how to get the other one back without letting anyone know they are giving in.
1. Messages

I Miss You

spacegyspy1

After a brief romance, Daniel and Vala have split. Vala has left Earth. Now they each have to figure out how to get the other one back without letting anyone know they are giving in. But little do they know - their friends are conspiring behind their backs to do the same thing.

Part I - Messages

Daniel opened the note Dixon had shoved at him when they passed in the hall. His steps nearly faltered when he first noted the handwriting. Leaning against the corridor wall outside his office, Daniel read it again and again. Her voice echoing around in his head... 'darling' over and over.

_Hello, Darling,_

_I am about to leave Remencia, I think it's P3R-195, but I really don't quite remember. I ran into Colonel Dixon in the market, it was a nice visit. It made me think of you. Well, to be honest, I think about you everyday. The first time we met and then the time apart, those good years as friends and teammates, and of course that much too short year as lovers. The one that sent us on our separate ways._

_I'm quite well, Dixon said you all wonder about me, so I am letting you know that I'm safe and sound - not pirating, well, not much._

_Business is good. I'm running my very legal trading business on a warm and happy little moon, way off from my old haunting grounds. A girl can't be too careful. My father, the rat, visits much and tries to swindle me repeatedly. I shoo him off, but not before he gives me one more trinket. I guess he will never stop that._

_Well, darling, Dixon is about to leave so I better close this and send it with him or you'll never get it._

_I still love you. I should scratch that out, but I guess I won't. Truly sorry we didn't make it together. I can't quite find anyone to compare, sad but true. Although I have the next best thing. He's a reformed pirate too. I miss you,_

_Vala_

"Hey, you okay?" Sam touched his arm.

"Huh? What?" He looked up slowly. He'd forgot Sam had been walking with him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" It didn't take an astrophysicist to see he was upset.

"Oh. Nothing. Here." Daniel handed the note to Sam and walked away.

Once she read it, Sam took out after Daniel, following him into his office. "Why do you do it? Pretend, and then continue on as if everything is okay?"

"Because it is. I've moved on and obviously so has she. I'm in a nice relationship with Margaret."

With a snort, Sam pushed the issue. "Meg. Her name is Meg. Every one calls her Meg, except for you. And occasionally dating or 'nice' isn't exactly a..."

"Don't!" Daniel narrowed his eyes. "We made a choice - Vala and I. We tried and it didn't work. It's good to know she's alive and doing well. That's enough for me."

"You're such an ass!" Sam threw the note on Daniel's desk and stormed out.

Sighing, Daniel dropped his chin to his chest and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I know that," he said out loud to the empty room.

xxxxx

"What is wrong?" The deep voice startled Vala out of her daze.

"Oh. Nothing. Nothing much." She put her elbow on the table, and her chin on the top of her hand. "And where have you been?"

"Waiting for word of your return. Something is troubling you. What is it?"

Looking up into his green eyes, Vala asked, "Honestly?"

"Of course."

"I'm not happy, Garr, not happy at all." She confessed with a weary sigh.

Running his hands through his long dark hair, Garr sat. "I figured that out long ago. I thought you would eventually get over him."

"What?" Sitting up straight, Vala blinked. "Get over who? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Whoever you left behind. The ghost that has kept you out of my bed."

"Pfft!" Vala scratched at the table with a finger nail.

He kept his gaze on her, waiting.

"Who I left behind is no one important." With a wide smile she patted the top of his hand.

"I thought we were being honest."

Her shoulders slumped and the smile withered. "I wish I'd tried harder. I wish he'd tried harder. Oh! I don't know. I don't know what happened. But I can't seem to get him out of my thoughts."

Garr leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment. "Why don't you go back?"

"Too late." Her voice held a world of sadness.

"It's never to late, Vala."

"I ran into an old acquaintance this morning, who told me. Well, actually, she dropped by to see me, she...she's a friend of a friend..of sorts. Daniel's seeing someone."

The name, Daniel, registered with Garr. She'd never said it before today. Looking away, he mumbled, "so are you."

Burying her face in her hands, Vala groaned. "Please don't be so nice! I sent him a note through someone I ran into a few days ago on Remencia and I didn't know that he was with someone when I sent it. I didn't know until this morning when Istha came by. It's almost like cheating on you! Besides, we...we didn't...we weren't right for each other, we were always out of balance."

"I want to see you happy." Garr managed a weak smile. "Have you ever seen a blanchean?"

"A what?"

He took her hand, "It's for children. One side goes up and the other goes down, back and forth. And a person is on each end. You work together to keep it going. Sometimes it will balance in the middle because you are even and you hoover there. Whoever is carrying the heavier load has to scoot forward if it starts to list."

Raising a brow, Vala tilted her head in confusion. "A seesaw? Yes, I've seen one."

"It works like a relationship, you just never learned to scoot closer...and maybe he didn't either. I don't want to lose you. But I guess I never really had you." He looked her right in the eyes. "Did I"

"I'm sorry. I thought I would get over him. And I'm very fond of you. Very."

"But you love this, Daniel? Someone on Earth?"

"Yes. I still love him." Vala looked away. "I'm afraid I always will. I hate that! I don't want to love him. I really wanted to love you."

"Vala, I know that."

"Dear, you don't seem the least bit upset. Should I be offended?"

The man smiled kindly, "I've always known there was someone else and that I would only have a short time with you - I took it. Of course, I hoped I was wrong and you'd come to love me."

"I've been there before. Tried so hard to be 'in love' with someone I'd come to care for, love in a different way than I love...him, but in the end I knew – I knew I was doomed to a life of never having …." Vala took a deep breath and let it out. "Never mind. No sense in boring you with all the details. You're such a wonderful person. You've been so good to me. And we've had some fun adventures."

"Yes, we have. But as you said, we should not dwell. We will always be friends." He paused a moment in thought. "Do you think this Ishta is trustworthy?"

"Ha! She's like a Mother Confessor or something. She's a priestess, and more than that, she's Muscles' girlfriend/wife/lover/partner something or the other...anyway, the only way she would have known is from Muscles and he wouldn't lie. Ever."

"So, you think your friend Muscles told her to tell you?"

"Why else would she have come? She only knows I'm here because I...I mentioned it to Muscles before I left...just in case. You know, something awful happened and I needed to know. Like if someone died. But he would never tell, except Ishta. Why did she come?"

"This Muscles person. I think he was sending you a message. What exactly did she say?"

"That everyone was well back...back home. And Daniel wasn't very happy. Now why would Muscles go to all the trouble of sending Ishta to tell me that?" Vala dropped her head on the table. "I'm so confused. I'm tired."

Garr stood. "You should go to bed, Vala, you look exhausted. I will make you some tea, then go. We can talk tomorrow."

Placing a hand on his arm, Vala spoke softly as she rose. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know. Are you sure that is all Ishta said?"

"Well, there was something about...'life is like an odyssey or life is an odyssey or about an odyssey and not the final outcome'... I'm not sure. I can tell you this... Daniel doesn't want me."


	2. Covert Ops

I Miss You

spacegyspy1

Part II - Covert Ops

x x x x x

Cam's surprise had him blurting out, "WHAT!?"

"You heard me. I need to take some of my vacation, it'll be a while, but I'm giving you a heads up." Daniel picked up several books from his desk and started shelving them.

"Huh?" Cam couldn't think of anything else to respond with.

Head jerking around, Daniel furrowed his brows. "Mitchell!"

"I'm just confused." Cam stared with his mouth open, finally shaking his head. "You NEVER take a vacation!"

"Well, I am now! Besides, I don't have anything urgent in the works."

"Jackson, you've got six years of backlog, at least. That's what you keep tellin' me. Weird thing is you've been workin' on those six years for the past three years...and it's still six. You tell me all the damn time, that you can't take or don't want any vacation! What the hell changed?"

Watching his CO approach closer, Daniel confessed, reluctantly. "I'm tired, and I have stuff, personal stuff to do."

"Oh, right! I'll... hey, look, man, I've been thinkin', well, about you...and Vala," When Daniel slammed a book on the shelf and turned, Cam held up a hand. "Whoa, there, hold up a minute! Don't get all pissy on me. You're nuts! More than usual. That affects the team. Our three man team....by the way, so, I think I've got the right to cross your line. You okay with that?"

Daniel remained reticent, no longer looking at his CO.

Arms crossed over his chest, Cam waited, standing his ground.

"Fine!" Daniel barked out.

Cam grinned. "Good. I think I need to go with you. You'll just screw it up."

"What? Go Where?" Daniel plucked the glasses off his face and scowled deeper.

"After Vala. Dixon says she goes every three months to that market on Remencia - P3R-195. We got plannin' to do. That's where you're goin' isn't it, in three months?"

"Shit!"

Grinning wider, Cam nodded. "Thought so."

"Shut the door Mitchell. Let's talk." Daniel plopped down on a chair and buried his face in his hands.

x x x x x

Sam held the phone far away from her ear as Jack yelled. "Carter! You're willing to take days off to scout out your pirate friend, convince her to talk to Daniel, AND.. do it behind Daniel's back? You've never taken days off to spend with me! Care to explain that?"

"Jack, I don't have to spend extra days with you. I've already got you. Vala needs me, she needs Daniel and he needs her."

"Damn. You could have thrown in some technobabble to at least pretend to make it difficult, I hate it when you go all simple."

"Not that simple. I've just found out that Daniel is going to look for her where Dave Dixon saw her.

I don't have much time. I only have five days. I've been planning this for three months." Sam tidied up her lab desk, phone held in the crook of her neck. "I need to coach her so she doesn't blow it when he gets all pissy, as we all know he will. I've convinced Teal'c to get a message to her. Bet you didn't know he knew where she was all along. I baited my request to her with extra stuff. She's meeting me on P3R-195. Jack, I have to be back on the George Hammond in seven days."

"What are you doing with the other two days?" He asked, hopefully.

"Oh. I have some new things I bought at Victoria Secret for me when I purchased some things for Vala, you know 'extra stuff'. I wanted to model those for you."

"Okay, that works for me." Jack's laugh echoed through the phone. "Be careful. And Sam, bring her back. They belong together. Call me when you get back. I'll be here waiting." He didn't bother to say goodbye.

Sam grinned, stuffing the phone in her jacket pocket.

x x x x x

The dark, cool interior of the tavern was welcoming. Sam looked around, eyes adjusting quickly from the bright sunlight outside.

"Samantha!" Vala's cheerful voice called out as she threw her arms around Sam's shoulders.

Hugging her friend, Sam felt relief. Vala looked healthy, and her smile was genuine. "Vala. It's good to see you." Looking around, Sam asked, "Where is your, er, friend?"

Vala led Sam to a quite corner table. "Friend? Oh! Him. Posh! He's just that... a friend. We had issues. Well, I suppose it's me that had - have – has issues. As always." Vala smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry I didn't get in touch. I really missed our friendship, but I kept waiting on...on...um...getting past some...well...issue."

Looking up, Sam smiled at the barmaid and ordered before turning back to her friend. "I've missed you, too. Here," Handing over the pink bag, she grinned. "My bribe."

"Thank you!" Vala dug in the bag, "but you didn't have to bribe me. I've been trying to make myself get in touch with you. I've been planning with Ish, but she...."

"Ish?"

"Ishta, she's been visiting - well checking up on me for Muscles." Vala opened a chocolate bar and bit into it. "Mmm, I've missed good chocolate." She dug further into the tissue paper. "Excellent choice. My chemise is wearing thin with so many washes. I'be been considering inventing the washing machine for the people of my little moon, but haven't..."

"Vala." Sam scolded, pushing her cup of tea aside and thinking, _Vala, thy middle name is Avoidance - at all costs!_

"Yes?" Vala looked up, her eyes wide and nervous.

"Daniel misses you."

"No. No he doesn't. Ish told me he has someone else now."

"No, he doesn't."

"No? Really? I thought...."

"They dated, briefly, it's over." Sam kept her gaze on her friend, clearly seeing the other woman's painful expression morph into hope.

Brows rising in interest, Vala set her bribe aside. "Oh. Anyway, Daniel and I didn't quite see eye to eye when we were...you know. I should have listened to him before all that started. He was right. We were all wrong for each other. I was all wrong for him."

"Daniel's here. He's looking for you."

Vala immediately began to smooth her hair and straighten her leather vest. "Here? My Daniel? Looking for me!? I can't face him. He'll just yell. I'll cry and walk away. What should I do? Samantha, can you find him and...and talk to him for me?" Picking pieces off the chocolate, gaze darting around the tavern, Vala avoided direct eye contact with Sam.

"What a mess." Sam whispered.

"A big mess. What could I tell you to tell him? I don't know, this is making me all wonko. I can't breathe. I can't...I can't see him! I will throw myself at his feet and beg to be his slave." Suddenly, Vala looked at her friend and scowled. "What am I saying! See, see, he makes me nuts! I would probably shoot him in the back with my zat! Or hit him upside the head with a heavy skillet...or actually, a rare and precious piece of ancient pottery. Yes, that would really...why are you looking at me like that?"

Leaning forward, Sam lowered her voice, "My contact, who shall remain unnamed, told me Daniel is going to try to get you to come back...as in...back with him, not just the SGC."

Eyes wide, Vala stared a second or two before blurting out, "Muscles told you that!?"

"I didn't say Teal'c!"

"You didn't have to. Now what?" Vala's concern and confusion were evident as she fidgeted with the chocolate wrapping paper, tearing it into tiny bits.

"Find him, talk to him, take part of the blame for misunderstanding him, confess undying love, surrender to his need for less talk, more quiet, let him know you understand now. Ask him for another chance, and vow to be a better mate, and let him know you are willing to meet him half way - compromise." Sam pulled a radio out of her vest. "Here, I brought another one. Let's split up. You radio me if you see him, I'll do the same. I'll be there for you. We can do this, Vala. You can do this. We all miss you. You belong with us. You need to come home."

x x x x x

Cam had hounded Daniel on how to 'get her back' - as in apologize, take all the blame, confess undying love, surrender to her wishes, beg for forgiveness, and vow to be a better mate. He hadn't stopped blathering since they stepped through the gate on P3R-195, Remencia. "And Jackson, don't forget to be humble. Let her know how you feel, man. Tell her you were wrong and ..."

Throwing up his hands in disgust, Daniel yelled, "Mitchell! Enough! I get it."

Cam blanched at Daniel's tone. "Right, sorry. I'm just thinkin' about the princess. We need her. Everyone misses her. Let's split up. Search. Radio me if you find her, I'll do the same."

"Sure." Daniel walked off, weaving his way through the crowded market.

The day was hot, the sun almost unbearable, giving Daniel an excuse for the nervous sweet that he kept wiping off his brow. With his height he didn't have trouble seeing over most of the crowd. He concentrated on the area with the more technical items, avoiding the fruits and vegetables, and the day to day 'flea market' booths. A few times he thought he spotted her, but lost sight of the woman before he could determine if it really was Vala.

Once, he caught sight of dark pigtails, another time, long, curled black tresses. For an hour he worked his pattern. Moving left, back to center, then right, up the market street. He searched some booths, asked a few vendors. Nothing!

He'd missed her. Knowing she might be here, somewhere in this mass of people, gave him hope. It also made him skittish. He'd been a fool and he'd lost her. She wasn't going to be happy to see him. He'd prepared himself for that.

Craning his neck left, looking over the mass of heads, Daniel spotted something familiar. Hair shinning black, unbound, uncurled, like the first time he met her. He pushed forward, shouldering through the crowd, head up high, never taking his eyes from the beacon of her hair shimmering in the sunlight. His heart raced.

As he got closer he could see that she wore leather and he smiled. But Vala appeared to be looking for someone, and he stalled. His heart beat faster. Was she looking for her...her lover? Or were they more than lovers? What if she'd married the man?

Forcing himself forward he knew it didn't matter. He needed to say what he needed to say. He'd already had a hand in taking her from one husband, what did one more matter? Daniel took a deep breath, stepping up his pace.

~TBC


	3. The Blame Game

I Miss You

spacegyspy1

Part III - The Blame Game

x x x x x

"What is it, my love, what do you see?" Ishta watched Teal'c's face closely after noticing the tic in his jaw.

From his vantage point, Teal'c scanned the area. "ColonelCarter and ColonelMitchell have found each other and are making their way towards DanielJackson and ValaMalDoran, who at any moment, are about to locate one another."

"You seem concerned, are you not here to observe that very thing?" Ishta followed his gaze. Looking across the marketplace, she spotting both colonels moving closer into the crowd on one side as DanielJackson entered from their left, and ValaMalDoran from their right. All moving towards one another.

"I had not planned on the two colonels involvement. They could be an unknown factor that some how disrupts the sequence of events." Teal'c kept a relaxed stance, hands behind his back.

"May I ask, Teal'c, what sequence you speak of?"

"I must move into position behind ColonelCarter and ColonelMitchell. Follow me, Ishta." Teal'c headed for Carter and Mitchell, with Ishta right beside him. He spoke as they made fast work of the distance, practically plowing through the market-goers on the outskirt of the village center. "When our friends came together as lovers, a year ago, there was no arguing, or fighting. Therefore, their relationship did not work out. I believe, that if in some way they recreate a sequence of events, that are somewhat predestined, they will have a very long and loving relationship. As you know, I am unable to speak exactly to which I am referring."

"Indeed, Teal'c. How may I help?" Ishta kept up with Teal'c's broad steps.

"If you could somehow insure that ValaMalDoran and DanielJackson do, in fact, find each other, I would be grateful." Voice low as he approached behind Carter and Mitchell, Teal'c slowed his steps.

With a crisp nod of understanding the seriousness of her duty, Istha scurried off through the crowd.

x x x x x

"Damn!" Vala cursed under her breath, searching the faces around her for some sign of Daniel. Noisy barker's asaulted her ears adding to the din of the crowd.

At the same time, Daniel had lost sight of her and was zigzagging through the people trying to locate her again.

Ishta, having trained as a Jaffa warrior, kept both Daniel and Vala in her sights. Stealthily she moved very close to Vala, pushing the crowd in a way that made Vala turn in the right direction. Lifting her eyes to Daniel, Ishta noted the instant he spotted his prey. He was on the move, and Ishta backed off.

x x x x x

Turning sharply to avoid some children running through the market place, Cam found himself face to face with Sam. "Whoa! Carter! What the hell are you doin' here?"

"I might ask you the same thing." Sam pursed her lips in false disproval, though they still tilted up in a slight smile.

"Ya might, but I asked first." Cam's boyish grin had her breaking into a full blown smile.

Jabbing him affectionately on the arm, Sam confessed, "I've talked to Vala. We're trying to locate Daniel."

"Vala! Now how the heck did you find her and where is she?"

"Teal'c. And she's here somewhere looking for Daniel. Why aren't you with him?"

Shaking his head in amazement, Cam asked, "Is it the Birds on your shoulders or the years that get you so much intel?"

"Both!" She laughed. "Where's Daniel?"

"Here somewhere, lookin' for her."

Nodding in understanding, Sam ran her arm through his. "Shall we combine forces and search together?"

"No need."

Turning to Cam, Sam frowned, "Why?"

He pointed straight across to where Daniel and Vala stood staring at each other.

Just as the two colonels went to take a step in that direction, Teal'c grabbed each by the back of their vests. "Wait"

x x x x x

Daniel and Vala found themselves no more than a foot apart, face to face, standing in the middle of the main thoroughfare of the market, just as the vendors began to close up and the noisy throng of traders thinned out.

"Hello." She cood softly, twirling a lock of long silky hair.

"Hey," he answered with hands in his pockets, head down, eyes lifted to her, and smiling happily. "Listen, ah, I...."

"Daniel, I'm sorry!" She blurted out quite loudly. Loud enough for their friends not so far away to hear.

"No, it was me! I...damn you look good." The sun had moved low behind Vala, casting her within the center of its golden glow, and Daniel's knees nearly buckled at the sight of her.

"I do? Oh." Vala took a step closer, lifting her face up to him. "Really? Daniel, darling, I know I drove you wonko, demanding...."

"Vala, please." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking down at her upturned face. "You know it was all me. I'm...well - I was much too grouchy, too many times...."

"No, darling. I was too chatty, a lot, and that's very irritating...."

"Not you, sweetheart. I demanded instead of asked...." His voice rose a notch and he brought his face closer to hers., eyes widening behind his glasses.

"Pfft! I'm the demanding one." Vala tossed her hair with the flip of her hand, her tone just this side of irritated.

His jaw tightened. "I ignored you!"

Her eyes narrowed. "You didn't ignore me! You were busy!"

The few villagers remaining gathered around them and stared. Ishta returned to Teal'c's side, and she smiled at him while Cam and Sam exchanged confused looks.

"Not what was planned." Cam whispered to Sam.

"I never expected this." Sam frowned, not sure what to do.

Daniel went to full volume yelling, "I was a jackass! I know it, Vala!"

She yelled right back. "Damn, you. Don't you dare call yourself a jackass! I was a...a fruitpie!"

"Fruitcake!" Daniel's brows scrunched and he glared.

"Yes! See!" Vala glared back, eyes narrowed further until they were only tiny slits.

"No! Damn it!" Fists clinched, Daniel loomed over her.

They were nose to nose now, both shouting.

"Ha! If it wasn't for me we might still be together!" Angry, Vala had switched to Goa'uld slang, tossing in a few obscenities.

Daniel blinked, then followed suit with a mixture of languages. "I drove you away, it was me!"

"I walked out on you!" Vala tossed in a few Latin words with classic Goa'uld, she might not be as well versed as her archeologist, and no one in the known universe knew more languages then he did, but she was a master at shuffling the few she knew together!

From then on they spoke a coded mixture of languages that not one of their friends could quite understand.

"God damn it, Vala, I drove you away! I screwed it up, stop denying that!"

"Daniel, you are so...so...so NOT right! I love you, and I made everything about ME! It's all my fault!!"

Cam looked at Sam, totally confused. "Carter, did I miss somethin' here? What the hell are they sayin'?"

"Their using a mixture of words. Part Goa'uld." Sam explained to Mitchell, her gaze locked on the fighting couple.

"As well as very rare Goa'uld slang." The Jaffa informed the colonel.

"Latin, too." Sam commented to no one in particular.

"Also, some Asgard, I believe, ColonelMitchell."

"And English, of course." Sam added with a nod at Teal'c.

Teal'c acknowledged Sam with a brow raise and added. "Pig latin, though ValaMalDoran often gets that confused."

"And, I think I recognized a smidgen of Ancient." Sam's gaze remained on their friends, as she listened intently.

"NO!" Daniel yelled so loud, everyone witnessing, flinched, though the simple word was shrouded in some obscure tongue, not a soul misunderstood it.

Vala stared up into his snapping blue eyes, "YES!" She poked him in the chest with a sharp fingernail emphasizing every word, "ME! ME! ME!!"

Daniel grabbed her wrist to snatch her sharp claw away from his chest before she drew blood. "ME!"

"Yep, that's English." Cam took a step to intervene a second before Sam did too.

Teal'c kept a firm hold on the back of their vests. "Wait."

"Wait!? It's getting a little too physical." Cam tried to pull free, but Teal'c held firm.

Daniel pulled Vala to him and kissed her roughly for a few seconds before they both melted into the kiss.

"Ah, damn." Mitchell looked down at his feet. "Didn't see that one comin'."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Aw, boy, I'll never understand those two."

Teal'c smiled, and Ishta somehow knew the Jaffa had completed his mission.

The rest of the onlookers disbursed, obviously disappointed that the fight had ended, leaving Teal'c, Ishta, Cam, Sam, and Daniel and Vala in the middle of the deserted market place.

Daniel and Vala began their awkward language again, only this time their voices were low, and obviously affectionate.

Daniel whispered, deep and husky. "I was terrible. I treated you badly. I love you. I want to be better, I want you to help me be better...and it was all my fault." He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Vala murmured. "Stop saying those things, darling. That's not true. You know how it was. I rattled on and on and goaded you. I love you. It was all my fault." She stroked his face.

"No, honey, it was me, not you." He insisted, the tremor of his voice rising, all the while he petted her hair.

Cam had to tilt his head to try and discern at least a few of the words. Sam had a confused look, but seemed to be processing their odd language a little better. Teal'c just continued to smile, and Ishta remained quiet and unconcerned.

"I promise to not rattle on and on, since this was really my fault." Vala smashed her lips together and ran fingers across them in a zip-it-up fashion.

"Not your fault, Vala...." He didn't realize he spoke through gritted teeth.

"That was Goa'uld, right?" Cam asked, but no one answered him.

"Darling," Vala growled out, "all me. Only me. Stop trying to cover for me."

"Cover!" Daniel spat out the word in latin.

"Definitely latin." Sam advised Cam.

Taking a step back, Vala lifted a dark brow. "Are you speaking Ancient or is that Latin? Because I think you said, change, or maybe bedspread. But I can change, at least for you."

"Don't change! That's absurd! Why would I want you to change?" Daniel let out a disgruntled sigh, switching to Goa'uld. "I...I didn't say...I said cover!" All of a sudden he switched back to Latin. "Damn it Vala, I should have come home more."

"I should have stayed at the base more!" Vala shifted back into Pig Latin, mixing the words up all wrong.

It took him a second or two for his brain to catch up. Finally, lowering his voice, Daniel used Asgard, spitting the words out rapidly. "I should have paid more attention to you."

"I got that, Asgard. And, yes he should have!" Sam commented.

"I should have stopped pestering you." Vala shot back in clear and precise English.

"Right. She's right." Cam nodded his approval.

Both Daniel and Vala were glaring again, nose to nose. Fed up with their nonsense, Ishta approached, holding a small metal object in her hand. "Vala. Here is the release for the new magnetic lock you installed on your Tel'tak." Handing the object to Vala, Ishta walked off calling back, "I will be returning to Earth with Teal'c."

"Tel'tak? You got a Tel'tak?" Cam asked.

Vala looked towards Cam and smiled.

Turning her face back to him with a gentle finger on her chin, Daniel looked into her cool grey eyes. "With a lock?" He blinked slowly, a grin growing on his face.

"Uh huh." she answered, pressing close to his body. "And a very comfy bed."

"Aw, crap, too much intel. You could have skipped the English on that one." Cam walked off following Ishta and Teal'c.

Sam lingered a moment longer, watching them kiss. Then pivoting around she sprinted off towards the others, saying out loud to no one in particular. "Three days left and three Victoria Secret outfits, won't Jack be happy!"

"Tel'tak, hmm?" Daniel wrapped his arm around Vala's waist.

Pointing off in the direction of her ship, Vala beamed proudly. "Bought and paid for, darling. We can take it home with us. I also installed the best autopilot available." She waggled her brows. "Let's make babies!"

Daniel bent to kiss her nose. "That's my girl."

Before they reached the ship, Vala had started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Stop that!" He scolded her, all the while running his hand down the back of her leather pants.

"See. My fault." She grinned up at him.

"Let's just split the blame down the middle. 'kay?"

~END


End file.
